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BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The way has been cleared for the legalization of cannabis in Germany after decades of debate. On Friday, the Bundesrat passed a law passed by the Bundestag that allows possession and cultivation of the drug for adults as of April 1, with numerous requirements for personal consumption. Despite much criticism, there was no majority in the state chamber to call the mediation committee with parliament and thus put the brakes on the law. In order to avert failure, the federal government had also recently promised to amend some regulations retrospectively.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach spoke of a landmark decision after the failed cannabis policy of the past ten years. The SPD politician appealed for approval before the vote in the Bundesrat. "If we didn't succeed, it would be a great day for the dealers." There is now an opportunity to protect the next generation in particular from consumption and the black market through decriminalization, better education and better youth protection.

The turning point in drug policy can now come into force on Easter Monday. The law must first be officially proclaimed once it has been signed by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. It will be legal for adults aged 18 and over to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis for personal consumption. Three live cannabis plants will be allowed in the home and up to 50 grams of cannabis for personal use. Smoking weed in public places is to be banned in schools, sports facilities and within sight of others.

The law will also allow non-commercial "cultivation associations" for adults, in which up to 500 members residing in Germany grow cannabis collectively and supply it to each other for personal consumption - with a maximum of 50 grams per member per month. No later than 18 months after the law comes into force, an initial assessment will also be presented on how it affects the protection of children and young people.

Following a controversial debate in the Bundesrat, four of the 16 states voted in favor of the Mediation Committee, namely Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg and Saarland. The remaining states abstained, while Saxony's vote was deemed invalid by Bundesrat President Manuela Schwesig (SPD) because the vote was inconsistent: Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) said yes to the Mediation Committee, his deputy Martin Dulig (SPD) disagreed and Green Environment Minister Wolfram Günther called for "abstention".

Kretschmer had previously argued in his speech that the law could not be about party politics and coalition arithmetic. This issue was so central and so personal "that it was clear to me that I would not agree to the legalization of drugs under any circumstances, even if it caused trouble in my Saxon coalition." He had seen people seriously harmed by drugs. Saxony-Anhalt's Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU) warned that the law would open the door to a fundamentally new drug policy. "The threshold for removing taboos from other psychoactive substances will fall."

It was uncertain until shortly before the meeting whether the law would be passed in the Bundesrat. Three committees of the state chamber had recommended that the Mediation Committee be consulted due to numerous objections. The Federal Government took up a number of points of criticism in order to avert a conciliation procedure. In a statement that was put on record in the Bundesrat, it promised more support for education and prevention, especially for children and young people, as well as more flexible implementation rules. To this end, some subsequent amendments to the law are now to be implemented before July 1.

Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers that the law combines realism and prevention without trivializing risks. He was certain that the new rules would soon ease the burden on the justice system. Green Party politicians Maria Klein-Schmeink and Kirsten Kappert-Gonther explained that the law was a paradigm shift that many had been campaigning for for decades.

The police union warned that the police, judicial authorities and youth welfare offices were now facing unnecessary challenges. "From April 1, our colleagues will find themselves in numerous conflict situations with citizens," said vice-chairman Alexander Poitz. Because there is uncertainty on all sides. The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians warned that cannabis use should not be given the "cloak of harmlessness". The German Association of Judges complained that legalization was now being pushed into the law "with a crowbar" against all reservations./sam/jr/DP/men